(ThyBlackMan.com) I listen to the radio. If you’re a music purist you may be saying this is my first mistake. But it’s not a mistake. I like the radio. I like to be entertained by more than music on my overnight morning commute and my afternoon drive home. But I do have a few grievances. Okay just one. Pop music. I know everyone wants to be popular. It’s the easiest way to a music listener’s heart or their subconscious when they can’t get a song out of their head. But it’s also the fastest way to the land of no substance, one hit wonder-hood, and “oh you used to sing _____” status.
On my ride home from work I heard the latest offering from Nicki Minaj and Chris Brown, “By Your Side.” I hated it. I like Nicki Minaj. I like Chris Brown. But this pop confection meant to be spun hundreds of thousands of times in the top 40 rotation across the country worked on my last nerve. I like my 
Nicki Minaj rapping; preferably like a “Monster” or dungeon dragon. I like my Chris Brown harmonizing debauchery, “don’t you be on that bull**** yeah-yeah.” What I don’t like is my rappers singing and my singers just getting by on good looks and soul less vocals.
Granted singing rappers were the it think in the 00?s. Ja Rule made an entire career out of it. And though 50 Cent clowned him for it, the G-Unit front man soon followed suit.
Remember This:
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But that was then and like all popular music trends singing rappers crashed and burned and then birthed Akon and T-Pain. Trust they can have those back.
Popular music has given us some great artists. Beyonce is top of mind. However, while Beyonce is a musical and entertainment force to be reckoned with, being a pop culture icon does not mean automatic induction into the elite class of Kings and Queens of the game; no matter what self-proclaimed titles you give yourself.
Case in point, Beyonce has 16 Grammys. Patti LaBelle has two. Aretha Franklin has 18. Chaka Khan has 10. What kind of sense does this make? Beyonce has two less than the undisputed Queen of Soul, 14 more than a woman whose vocal heights she dreams about, and six more than the Queen of Funk and big hair. That makes no sense.
The Grammys used to be a respected institution. It was the place music fans and artists went to settle disputes over who was the best once and for all. The judgement of the Grammy committee used to be spot on. Now they just give awards away to whoever had the biggest smash year. Musical integrity has been lost for popularity. And now some will never be recognized for their aural gifts to the world because popular music is in such demand that other genres just don’t chart. Not even for the Grammys.
The solution is not just turn off the radio and find alternative sources to getting new music. The solution is not to stay hype to vinyl records from the height of vinyl. The solution is not to scourge the iTunes store for albums that look interesting. The solution is much deeper than that. It starts with record companies being more selective in their choices for people who get record deals. We really didn’t need Rihanna and Ciara. #imjustsayin
Producers should be able to write music. Not just pick beats out of a beat machine but actually create sounds from instruments new and old. Singers should be required to write some of their lyrics. And radio stations should be more selective in their choices. Radio Stations, you don’t have to play it just because it’s new or requested. Artists get blacklisted all the time, why not self police and blacklist the bad ones.
Popular music doesn’t have to be bad. Popular music, current popular music can actually be very good, but the people that care about music have to take more initiative in making it good. I’d rather have what comes out of the radio be as great as the album I bought criticizing the radio.
But clearly that’s just a dead fantasy that will never come back to life.
What’s your relationship with the radio?
Staff Writer; Nikesha Leeper
To connect with this sister feel free to visit; Change Comes Slow.